Maryland Players in the NBA: Where Are They Now?

Since the NBA began in 1946, there have been 53 Maryland players that have been drafted into the league. Of those 53 players, 23 have played for the Maryland Terrapins men’s basketball team The most recent Terp to enter the NBA was Dez Wells, who was drafted in 2014 by the Phoenix Suns

Players that have gone on to have successful NBA careers include Carmelo Anthony who was drafted 3rd overall in 2003 by the Denver Nuggets and Steve Francis, who was drafted 2nd overall in 1999 by the Vancouver Grizzlies Other notable Maryland NBA draftees include Juan Dixon, Greivis Vasquez and Joakim Noah.

Unfortunately, not all Maryland draftees have had successful NBA careers Len Bias, who was drafted 1st overall by the Boston Celtics in 1986, tragically died of a cocaine overdose just two days after being drafted. Bias’ death shocked the nation and led to increased awareness and penalties for drug use in the NBA.

Other notable Maryland NBA flops include Chris Wilcox, who was drafted 8th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2002, and Mike Grinnon, who was drafted 17th overall by the Indiana Pacers in 1989. These players were unable to live up to their draft position and had short-lived NBA careers.

So what happened to these Maryland players after their time in the NBA? Some went on to have successful careers overseas while others retreated from basketball altogether. A few found success outside of basketball entirely; Steve Francis now owns his own record label while Mike Grinnon became a successful real estate developer.

Whatever their post-NBA fate may be, these Maryland players all share one thing in common: they each left their mark on Terrapin Basketball History

Terrapins in the NBA

As of the 2019-2020 Season there are fourteen former University of Maryland Terrapins playing in the NBA. These Terps have had various levels of success in the league, ranging from All-Stars to role players. Let’s take a look at where each of these fourteen Terps are now in their NBA careers.

1. Juan Dixon – Dixon was a star player for the Terps during their 2001 National Championship run. He was drafted in the 1st round of the 2002 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards and spent parts of four seasons with the team before being waived. He bounced around the league for several years, playing for eight different teams in total. Dixon is now out of the league and working as a basketball analyst, most notably serving as a studio analyst for Big Ten Network during their college basketball coverage.

2. Steve Francis – A McDonald’s All-American and Maryland’s first ever lottery pick, Francis was selected 2nd overall by the Vancouver (now Memphis) Grizzlies in the 1999 NBA Draft He would go on to have a successful career, being named to three All-Star teams and winning co-Rookie of the Year honors in 2000. After stops with Houston, Orlando, and New York, Francis retired from basketball in 2008 after several injuries derailed his career. He is now living in Houston and working as a real estate investor.

3. Joe Smith – The first overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft Smith had a productive 17-year career in which he played for twelve different teams. A two-time All-Star, Smith averaged over 10 points per game for his career and retired as one of only six players to have played in 1,500 or more games without ever starting a single one. After retiring from playing basketball Smith has worked as an Assistant Coach for both Villanova University and George Washington University’s men’s basketball teams He is currently serving as George Washington’s Head Coach after being promoted from assistant last year.

4.. Greivis Vasquez – Vasquez had a successful four-year career at Maryland before being drafted 28th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2010. He has since bounced around the league, playing for six different teams including two stints with Memphis as well as stops with New Orleans, Toronto, Sacramento, and Brooklyn. After missing all of last season due to injury, Vasquez announced his retirement from Professional Basketball earlier this year but remains involved with the game as an global ambassador for Nike Basketball

5.. Alex Len – Len was drafted 5th overall by the Phoenix Suns in 2013 after two years at Maryland where he was widely considered one of college basketball’s best big men prospects. He has spent his entire NBA Career thus far with Phoenix and has slowly developed into a solid role player for them over his six years with the team; however he has yet to live up to his lofty draft position as he has never been named an All-Star or averaged more than 9 points per game in any season . Len will be a free agent this offseason and it remains to be seen if he will return to Phoenix or sign elsewhere

Current NBA players from Maryland

As of the 2019-2020 NBA season there are currently six players from Maryland playing in the NBA. These players include:

--Kevin Durant forward for the Brooklyn Nets
-Jared Sullinger, forward for the Toronto Raptors
-Ekpe Udoh, center for the Utah Jazz
-Garrett Temple, guard for the Brooklyn Nets
-Shelvin Mack, guard for the Memphis Grizzlies
-Justin Anderson, forward for the Atlanta Hawks

Former NBA players from Maryland

As of the 2019-2020 NBA season there are no active NBA players from Maryland. However, there have been many NBA players from Maryland over the years, including Hall of Famers like Moses Malone and Lefty Driesell. Some of the more recent NBA players from Maryland include Sam Cassell, Steve Francis, and Juan Dixon. Let’s take a look at where some of these former NBA players from Maryland are now.

Moses Malone played in the NBA for 21 seasons and is considered one of the greatest players in Basketball History He was a 3-time MVP and a 14-time All-Star. After his playing career, he became a coach and broadcaster. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001. He passed away in 2015 at the age of 60.

Sam Cassell played in the NBA for 15 seasons and was a 3-time All-Star. After his playing career, he became an assistant coach for several NBA teams He is currently an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers

Steve Francis played in the NBA for 10 seasons and was a 3-time All-Star. After his playing career, he dabbled in acting and rap music. He is currently an assistant coach for Maryland’s Basketball team

Juan Dixon played in the NBA for 8 seasons and is currently working as a college basketball analyst for ESPN.

NBA Players from Maryland: Statistics

Although Maryland is not a traditional basketball power-house, the state has produced a number of successful NBA players Most recently, Kevin Durant who played one year of College Basketball at the University of Texas before being drafted 2nd overall in the 2007 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics Durant went on to play nine seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder winning an MVP Award in 2014, before signing with the Golden State Warriors in 2016. He is currently playing with Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan on the Brooklyn Nets

Other notable Maryland NBA players include Carmelo Anthony who was born in Baltimore and played High School basketball there before going on to play one season at Syracuse University and then being drafted 3rd overall by the Denver Nuggets in 2003. Anthony played 15 seasons in the NBA with the Nuggets, New York Knicks Houston Rockets Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers before retiring in 2018. He is currently ranked 18th all-time in points scored in the NBA.

Another Baltimore native, Reggie Lewis played his College Basketball at Northeastern University before being drafted 22nd overall by the Boston Celtics in 1987. Lewis enjoyed a successful six-year career with the Celtics, averaging 20 points per game during the 1991-92 season, before tragically dying of heart failure at just 27 years old. His number 35 was retired by the Celtics in 1995.

High School Players from Maryland in the NBA

In recent years Maryland has become a powerhouse in terms of high school basketball talent. Several players from the state have gone on to have successful careers in the NBA. Here’s a look at some of the most successful Marylanders in the league today.

One player who has had a lot of success in the NBA is Kevin Durant Durant, who played his high school ball in Prince George’s County, is currently a member of the Golden State Warriors He is a four-time NBA All-Star and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2014. Durant is one of the best scorers in the NBA, and he has helped lead the Warriors to two NBA championships

Another Maryland native who has had a great deal of success in the NBA is Carmelo Anthony Anthony, who grew up in Baltimore, currently plays for the Houston Rockets He is a 10-Ime Nba All-Star and was named the league’s scoring champion in 2013. Anthony is one of the most versatile scorers in the NBA, and he has helped lead the Rockets to one Conference Finals appearance.

Other notable Marylanders currently playing in the NBA include Rustin Cooley (Washington Wizards), Gorgui Dieng (Minnesota Timberwolves), Rudy Gay (San Antonio Spurs), Jeff Green (Houston Rockets), DeAndre Jordan (Dallas Mavericks), and Reggie Bullock (New York Knicks). These players have all had successful careers thus far, and they continue to represent Maryland well at the highest level of basketball competition.

Women’s basketball players from Maryland in the NBA

Since the WNBA was founded in 1996, 157 female basketball players have been drafted into the league. Of those 157 players, 12 played their college basketball in the state of Maryland. This number is significant because it ranks Maryland 7th in the nation for the most women’s basketball players drafted into the NBA Per Capita

Here is a list of the 12 Maryland women’s basketball players who have been drafted into the WNBA:

Charde Houston (2007, Connecticut Sun)
Crystal Langhorne (2008, Washington Mystics)
Marissa Coleman (2009, Indiana Fever)
Lynetta Kizer (2011, Indiana Fever) Alyssa Thomas (2014, Connecticut Sun)
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (2017, Washington Mystics) Brionna Jones (2018, Connecticut Sun) Kaila Charles (2019, Chicago Sky) Taylor Mikesell (2019, Minnesota Lynx) Stephanie Jones (2020, Minnesota Lynx) Ashley Owusu (2020, Los Angeles Sparks) Shakira Austin (2021, Dallas Wings)

Of these 12 athletes, Langhorne and Thomas have had the most successful careers thus far. Langhorne was a two-time All-Star and won a championship with the Mystics in 2019. Thomas has also been to two All-Star games and is currently one of the top scorers in the league.

College Basketball Players from Maryland in the NBA

With the college basketball season in full swing, we thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the players from Maryland who have made it to the NBA. While the Terps have had their ups and downs over the years, there have been some real standouts who have gone on to have successful careers in the Association. Here’s a look at where some of these players are now:

--Kevin Durant Currently playing for the Brooklyn Nets Durant is a 2-time NBA Finals MVP and one of the best scorers in the league. He was born in Washington, D.C., but played his high school ball in Maryland.

-Greivis Vasquez: A journeyman point guard Vasquez has played for several teams during his NBA career including the Memphis Grizzlies New Orleans Pelicans Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks He was born in Caracas, Venezuela, but played collegiately at Maryland.

--Joel Embiid One of the league’s brightest young stars Embiid is currently playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. He was born in Yaounde, Cameroon, but played high school ball in Maryland before going on to college at Kansas.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is evident that Maryland has had a significant impact on the NBA over the years. With a total of 31 players drafted into the league, many of whom have gone on to have successful careers, it is clear that the state has produced some of the best basketball talent in the country. While it is impossible to say for sure where Maryland’s role in the NBA will be in the future, it is safe to say that its impact on the league will continue to be felt for years to come.

Maryland Players in the NBA: Where Are They Now?

Introduction